Gate-operating device



' F. KALE.

GATE OPERATING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8.1920.

1 ,4025 1 2 Patentd Jan.- 3-, 1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrice. I

FRED Karin, or wm'rnnsn'r, IOWA.

GATE-OPERATING nnvron.

v To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, FRED KALE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of "Winterset, in the county of Madison and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Gate-Operating Device, of wnich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of gate operating device in which the wheels of a vehicle approaching the gate engage the crank device located in the road way, and upon the operating of said crank device, a pull is exerted on a cable connected to the gate, whereby the gate may be swung open in the direction away from the approaching vehicle.

The object of my invention is to provide a device of this character, of simple, durable and inexpensive construction which may be used in the nature of an attachment to apply to gates of the ordinary sort, and in which the first impact of the vehicle wheel approaching the gate will be utilized partly in operating the gate unlatching device and partly in opening the gate, and the impact permitting the first impact of the vehicle wheels toexert' its force in unlatching the gate and before any considerable tension is applied to the gate tending to swing itopen.

With these and other objects in view, my

invention consists in the construction, ar

rangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained,,as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: V

Figure 1 shows a top or plan view of my gateoperating device, as installed on a gate.

Figure 2 shows a side elevation of the gate with the drum mechanism mounted thereon. I i

Figure 3 shows enlarged detail view,

'member 16 of the latch device 14: is

Specification of Letters Patent. patgnted J 3 1922 Application filed June 8,1920. Serial No. 387,434.

Hinges 13 are provided on the gate and are,

adapted to be received in the post 10, whereby the gate may swing to various positions. i

A latch device 14:, which comprises a memher 15, is fixed to the post 11, while the tothe gate 12.

Supported on the gatesubstantially below the hinges 13 is the drum 17, which is held in position by the U-bolts 18.

Disposed at either side of the gate 12 are the operating mechanisms A and B. The operating mechanisms A and :13 each comprise tread engaging wheels or paddles 19, which are rotatably mounted on a shaft 20. The shaft 20 is journaled in a casing '21, which is slightly sunk into the ground; The casing 21 may be of concrete or steel as desired. Fixed adjacent to the paddle wheels of the pivoted read device 19 is the drum 22. The drums cable 23. The cable 23 has one of its ends fixed to the drum 17. The other end of the cable 23 is fixed to a spring 24; the opposite end of the spring 24: is fixed to the drum 17 at 25. The end of the cable 28, which is fixed to the drum, is held in position by means of the staple 26 shown in Figure 3 of the drawings.

The cable 23 is lapped around the drum 17 and the drums 22 substantially as illustrated In the practical operation of my device, a l

vehicle wheel, indicated by the reference numeral 30, strikes one of the paddle wheels 19 as the tread deviceand causes the tread device to be rotated substantially a third of a revolution. 7 I

The rotation of the tread device'or paddle wheel 19 causes the drums 22 of the operat-, ingmechanisms A and B to rotate, causiiig the cable 23, which is fixed to the drum 17 to move the drum 17. 1 I V I When the vehicle wheel firstj strikes the tread engaging devices, it 'will cause the "cable to be tightened by pulling the spring 24. But as soonras the spring 24 has reached its limit of movement, the further movement 7 of the cables 23 willvcause the gate to be opened or closed. V i

The first movement of the cable 23, which causes the spring to be extended, will cause the cable 29 to be tightened, which in turn will lift the latch member 16 out of the coacting member. 15, thus releasingthe latch device and permitting the gate to be swung to open position. V

For example, it the operating mechanisin,

A werepassed over by a vehicle wheel, the tightening of the cable would first cause'the latch device 14% .to be released, and soon as it were released, the gate would be free to swing to open position. b After the vehicle has passed through the gate, it then passes over the operating mechanism B, which is similar to the mechanism A and causes the cables to b moved in the opposite direction, which to be closed. 7 i V The member 16 or the latch device 14 w ll will cause the gate coact with the member 15 from its'ownaccord due to its weight.

It will be understood that both the front and rearwheels of the vehicle pass over the operatlng mechanisms A and B, the front 7 wheel causing the gate to merely swing open substantially one eighth of a revolution, whilethe rear wheel will complete the opening of the gate, which is substantially a' quarter revolution.

lt'will be noted that the were device is of simple, durable andinexpensive construction, and maybe used in the nature "of an attachment to apply to a gate already erect; ed. On account 01 my improved construction' of having the drum secured to the gate below its hinged center, and by having a spring fixed to the drum and alsoby having one end of the gate operating cable fixed to the drum and the other end to said spring, and also by having the gate latch cable fixed J to the same spring,the following advantage one results are attainedz First, th'econstruo tion is quite simple and inexpensive,and seeend, no matter which one of the paddles 19 is engaged by the vehicle wheels, the first efiectofthe movementiof'the paddle will be to stretch the spring. The first part ofthis spring stretching movement will result in releasing the latchjbefore any considerable itension isapplied in the direction tending to. open the gate, so that the latch is easily- After that the remainder of the paddle movement will be'eXerted-in partially raised.

opening the gate and the second impact on the next paddle, by the rear wheel of the vehicle, will continue the gate opening movement so that the entire movement of the ats will be relatively slow'and uniform in proportion to the speed of the vehicle, thus relieving the gate operating device of undue shocks and strains.

Some changes may be made in the con struction and arrangement of the parts of my improved gate operating device, without departing from the essential features andpurposes of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my'claim any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents, which may be reasonably" included'within its scope. f

I claim as my invention:

A gate operating device comprising, in combination, a gate, a'latch, a drum secured to the gate below its'pivotal'point, a cable having one end fixed to the drum, 2, contractile coil spring fixed to the drum andhaving the other end of said'cable attached to its free'fencha latch operating cable also fixed to the tree end of said spring andattached wheel of the v hicle the said spring' will be partly stretched out,-'and during the first part of this movement the latch" will be opened, and then the spring will be brought under full tension a nd the gate will be partly opened, and then upon the impact of the second wheel on th second paddle, the opening movement will be completed, for;

the purposes'stated. l Des Moines, Iowa, May 11, 1920. I

F RED KALE. 

